274 SIBERIA 



whilst our sleepy friend huddled himself on the 

 ground just as naturally and contentedly as I would 

 have taken to a feather bed. The weather had 

 changed again that afternoon, so we decided to start 

 at midday on the morrow and go back that Iway, 

 which was supposed to save crossing the River Obi 

 many times, to Novo-Nicolaevsk. ' 



Arrived at Barnaoul, I paid a visit to a few busi- 

 ness friends, and also to the Barnaoul Bank. The 

 manager of this establishment was astounded to hear 

 that we had come from Bysk, because he had intended 

 to go there to open a bank but had given it up as 

 impossible, and was waiting for the thaw. This is 

 only typical of the general ignorance which prevailed 

 as to the state of the neighbouring roads. 



I noticed in one or two of the business offices cedar 

 nuts are placed on the table for business men to 

 partake of. I called upon Mr. Gransky, who is the 

 chief Government Dairy Instructor in the Barnaoul 

 district, and is doing good work, the farmers being 

 very well organised. Altogether, Barnaoul left a 

 very favourable impression upon me. At four o'clock 

 in the afternoon we again crossed the river, a difficult 

 matter, as it was now thawing hard and the various 

 blocks of ice which required to be negotiated were 

 very unsafe. When we reached the other side, we 

 observed about a score of peasants who were turn- 

 ing a gigantic windlass, walking round and round 

 and singing S popular song, whilst the thick block, 

 like the hub of a cart wheel, was winding a stout 

 rope on to it and dragging the ferry boats— long 

 narrow vessels of a shape similar to the turbine boats 

 — out of the ice. They were exceedingly joyous be- 

 cause the spring had arrived. The motion of the 

 boats was breaking the ice up very much, and it 

 was doubtful whether we would have succeeded in 

 getting across the river on the following day. 



